The present invention relates to an insulator used for a fuel cell.
In a fuel cell, an insulator may be used in order to electrically insulate between a stacked body including a plurality of stacked unit cells and a member disposed near the stacked body. For example, in a fuel cell disclosed in JP2007-207555A, an insulator is disposed between a stacked body and a tension plate. Generally, since the stacked body of the fuel cell is accommodated in a stack case, the insulator may be disposed between the stacked body and the stack case.
The stacked body may be provided with end members, such as end unit cells and current collectors, at ends in stacking directions. Since the end members have different structures from the unit cells, the contour dimensions of the end members may be larger than contour dimensions of the unit cells. Meanwhile, as a method of assembling a fuel cell device, it can be assumed that the stacked body is placed inside the stack case, sheet-like insulators are then placed so as to cover the sides of the stacked body, coverings are then placed over openings which are formed in the stack case. Further, as for the placement of the insulator described above, it is assumed that one end portion of the insulator is first inserted into a gap which is formed at an end portion of the stack case, and the side of the stacked body is then covered with the insulator. The gap into which the insulator is inserted may be formed in an end portion of a cap-like member fitted into the stack case. However, if contour dimensions of the end member are larger than the contour dimensions of the unit cell, a tip-end portion of the insulator bumps against the end member when the insulator is inserted into the gap described above, thereby causing possible deteriorations in the insertability of the insulator and the assembability of the fuel cell device. Thus, techniques which can prevent the reduction in the workability when assembling the insulator to the fuel cell device are desired. Such a subject is common to various kinds of fuel cell devices in which an insulator is disposed between a stacked body and an arbitrary covering which is disposed separated from the side of the stacked body in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, without limiting to the covering which covers the opening formed in the stack case.